JP 9: Hours Wasted or Gained? You Decide.

 Hey All,

Long time no write. Life has actually only gotten more hectic and crazy but that's okay, it will make for a good story later. I could not decide what to write about today so I think it will be fun to just basically go over what games I have the least to most hours on, specifically on steam. You will get a little insight into my brain with this one so lets get right into it. 

I am not going to add pictures like I originally planned because there will be 106 entries (thats what I have in my library currently). So instead it will be 1  to 106 with 1 being the least. I will add the hours and minutes next to it. Lets do it.

**this took me such a ridiculous amount of time. I just want to say that**

1. Eraser – 0.0 hours (0 minutes)

2. Piratopia – 0.0 hours (0 minutes)

3. Spectre Divide – 0.02 hours (1 minutes)

4. Desert Bus VR – 0.03 hours (2 minutes)

5. The Backrooms Game – 0.12 hours (7 minutes)

6. Slappyball – 0.12 hours (7 minutes)

7. Angry Angry Shark – 0.13 hours (8 minutes)

8. Cry of Fear – 0.13 hours (8 minutes)

9. Unturned – 0.15 hours (9 minutes)

10. Battle Ball – 0.2 hours (12 minutes)

11. Content Warning – 0.2 hours (12 minutes)

12. Burg – 0.23 hours (14 minutes)

13. GRANDMA – 0.23 hours (14 minutes)

14. Marvel Rivals – 0.27 hours (16 minutes)

15. Brawlhalla – 0.27 hours (16 minutes)

16. Aimlabs – 0.28 hours (17 minutes)

17. Three Finger Battle Arena – 0.28 hours (17 minutes)

18. HBDIE: 2 – 0.3 hours (18 minutes)

19. Prop and Seek – 0.3 hours (18 minutes)

20. Castle Crashers – 0.32 hours (19 minutes)

21. One-Armed Cook – 0.35 hours (21 minutes)

22. Flesh Water – 0.37 hours (22 minutes)

23. Hand Simulator – 0.4 hours (24 minutes)

24. Left 4 Dead 2 – 0.4 hours (24 minutes)

25. Stumble Guys – 0.55 hours (33 minutes)

26. Getting Over It – 0.57 hours (34 minutes)

27. Banana Shooter – 0.58 hours (35 minutes)

28. Dead Island Riptide – 0.62 hours (37 minutes)

29. One armed robber – 0.62 hours (37 minutes)

30. Worms W.M.D – 0.62 hours (37 minutes)

31. Dark Hours Demo – 0.72 hours (43 minutes)

32. Unfortunate Spacemen – 0.72 hours (43 minutes)

33. Deceit – 0.73 hours (44 minutes)

34. SpyParty – 0.73 hours (44 minutes)

35. STAR WARS Knights of the Old Republic – 0.75 hours (45 minutes)

36. Destiny 2 – 0.78 hours (47 minutes)

37. Slapshot: Rebound – 0.82 hours (49 minutes)

38. Move or Die – 0.83 hours (50 minutes)

39. Storm Chasers – 0.95 hours (57 minutes)

40. Super Auto Pets – 0.98 hours (59 minutes)

41. Pacify – 1.08 hours (65 minutes)

42. DEVOUR – 1.15 hours (69 minutes)

43. Spellbreak – 1.2 hours (72 minutes)

44. Chupacabras Night Hunt – 1.28 hours (77 minutes)

45. Dark Roll Free Kick Challenge – 1.32 hours (79 minutes)

46. Goblin Summer Camp – 1.32 hours (79 minutes)

47. Boo Men – 1.4 hours (84 minutes)

48. Halo Infinite – 1.58 hours (95 minutes)

49. We Were Here – 1.58 hours (95 minutes)

50. Property – 1.73 hours (104 minutes)

51. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege – 1.73 hours (104 minutes)

52. Battle Bit Remastered – 1.75 hours (105 minutes)

53. Liars Bar – 1.8 hours (108 minutes)

54. The Long Drive – 1.8 hours (108 minutes)

55. Ready or Not – 1.93 hours (116 minutes)

56. Crab Game – 2.0 hours (120 minutes)

57. Escape the Backrooms – 2.0 hours (120 minutes)

58. Heavenly Bodies – 2.1 hours (126 minutes)

59. Scram – 2.2 hours (132 minutes)

60. Occult – 3.1 hours (186 minutes)

61. PAYDAY 2 – 3.1 hours (186 minutes)

62. Midnight Ghost Hunt – 3.2 hours (192 minutes)

63. In Silence – 3.4 hours (204 minutes)

64. Battlefield 1 – 4.4 hours (264 minutes)

65. Generation Zero – 4.7 hours (282 minutes)

66. PICO PARK – 4.8 hours (288 minutes)

67. Handy Harrys Haunted House Services – 5.0 hours (300 minutes)

68. Stick Fight: The Game – 5.3 hours (318 minutes)

69. Duke Nukem Forever – 5.7 hours (342 minutes)

70. Bioshock 2 – 6.6 hours (396 minutes)

71. R.E.P.O – 7.6 hours (456 minutes)

72. Scribble It! – 7.6 hours (456 minutes)

73. Kletka – 8.5 hours (510 minutes)

74. Crab Champions – 8.8 hours (528 minutes)

75. Labyrinthine – 8.9 hours (534 minutes)

76. Arma 3 – 9.3 hours (558 minutes)

77. Back 4 Blood – 9.5 hours (570 minutes)

78. It Takes Two – 10.2 hours (612 minutes)

79. Bioshock Infinite – 10.7 hours (642 minutes)

80. Stray – 11.1 hours (666 minutes)

81. Paper, Please – 11.2 hours (672 minutes)

82. Voidtrain – 11.2 hours (672 minutes)

83. Little Nightmares – 11.3 hours (678 minutes)

84. Splitgate – 12.2 hours (732 minutes)

85. PlateUp! – 12.3 hours (738 minutes)

86. Wallpaper Engine – 12.5 hours (750 minutes)

87. The Forest – 12.6 hours (756 minutes)

88. Astroneer – 12.8 hours (768 minutes)

89. Bean Battles – 15.1 hours (906 minutes)

90. Bioshock – 17.2 hours (1032 minutes)

91. Hunt Showdown 1896 – 22.4 hours (1344 minutes)

92. Golf with your friends – 22.5 hours (1350 minutes)

93. Far Cry 4 – 22.7 hours (1362 minutes)

94. Lethal Company – 22.9 hours (1374 minutes)

95. Pummel Part – 24.5 hours (1470 minutes)

96. APB Reloaded – 24.8 hours (1488 minutes)

97. POLYGON – 24.9 hours (1494 minutes)

98. Phasmophobia – 25.1 hours (1506 minutes)

99. Far Cry 5 – 28.6 hours (1716 minutes)

100. THE FINALS – 35.8 hours (2148 minutes)

101. Among Us – 36.3 hours (2178 minutes)

102. Counter Strike 2 – 52.0 hours (3120 minutes)

103. Borderlands 2 – 60.4 hours (3624 minutes)

104. Rust – 89.6 hours (5376 minutes)

105. Apex Legends – 236.6 hours (14196 minutes)

106. Team Fortress 2 – 4020.6 hours (241236 minutes)

Thanks everyone. Like and comment your favorite game. ily. 

JP

JP 8: Top 5 Best Chips

 Hey Everyone!

Once again I am in a bit of a rush and have not had time to fully sit down to write as much as I would like. Soon, however, my work schedule is changing and I am moving in with my amazing gf which will give me more time. I am excited. For now though, I wanted to write something very quick so I could at least make sure I got it in. I have been seeing a trend going around where people are ranking the top 5 chips of all time. I have been seeing a TON of absolute misses with this however so I decided to do it here myself. I will be ranking from 5 to 1 with 1 being the best. 

HM : Chili Cheese Fritos

    So I know some of you may think I am off here and if that is so, its because you have been eating these wrong. Firstly, there is literally no better chip to make walking tacos with than this chip. Cut the bag open, make some beef, add some toppings and eat it. Will change your life. You can also throw these bad boys on a plate, grab some shredded cheese and throw it in the microwave for a little. That will also change your life. 

CHIP #5 : Miss Vickies Sea Salt and Vinegar Chips

    I have yet to see a salt and vinegar chip on one of these lists and I believe that to be a heinous crime. These things are AMAZING. I know some people do not like salt and vinegar chips but that's only because they do not have adult taste buds yet. I highly recommend pairing these bad boys with a #8 mikes way on rosemary parm from jersey mikes. Eat half the sandwich. Eat the chips. Eat the other half. 

Chip #4: Purple (Sweet & Spicy) Doritos 

    I know what you are thinking. "Of COURSE this one is top 5." You may also be thinking "how is it #4 though?". Now this is a fair thought, this chip often goes down as the greatest Dorito out there, but the truth is, there is one that beats it...

Chip #3: Light Blue (Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch) Doritos

    AND HERE THEY ARE. These things are the best Dorito there is. They are as delicious as they are rare. I highly recommend getting your hands on these bad boys and giving them a rip.

Chip #2: "Dirty" Siracha & Honey

    Now obviously kettle cooked chips are going to be on this list over and over again. This one  is absolutely one of my favorites though. I really only ever see them at Wawa and I get them almost every single time. Just a absolute top tier chip and a top tier flavor.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!!!

Chip #1: Cape Cod Dark Russet

 

Now guys I won't lie I struggled deciding if this should be 1 or 2 but eventually I simply had to keep it at 1. This. Chip. Is. AMAZING. Not only are we talking cape cod, but we are talking BURNT. Now I know I am probably the minority here, but there are so many things that are better well done. Popcorn, Pizza, Chips. These things are just slightly more cooked and approach a burnt taste that is just to die for. If you have not had. GET. GET IT RIGHT NOW. 

Thanks guys!

JP: 6 - (Deca)Daily Stoic: Wisdom for Every (10) Day(s)

 All, 

I hope everyone has been doing well these last few weeks. Life has continued to be hectic for me with trips and work. I am sorry I have not been able to put a ton of effort into each post but I am happy I am able to still do these ones. 

                                                                             April 25th, 2025

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING WRONG

         "If anyone can prove and show to me that I think and act in error, I will gladly change it - for I seek the truth, by which no one has ever been harmed. The one who is harmed is the one whoa bides in deceit and ignorance."

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditation, 6.21

 What is means: " Someone once attempted to argue with the philosopher Cicero by quoting something he had said or written. This person claimed Cicero was saying one thing now but had believed something different in the past. His response: 'I live from one day to the next! If something strikes me as probable, I say it; and that is how, unlike everyone else, I remain a free agent.' No one should be ashamed of changing their mind - that's what the mind is for. 'A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,' Emerson said, 'adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.' That's why we go to such lengths to learn and expose ourselves to wisdom. It should be embarrassing if we didn't end up finding out if we were wrong in the past. Remember: you're a free agent. When someone points out a legitimate flaw in your belief or in you're actions, they're not criticizing you. They're presenting a better alternative. Accept it!"

Your Authors Take: They key to success is failure well handled. I have said it before in these blogs and I will say it again -  a very important thing I work on often is the art of knowing what I do not know. I found myself, for a very long time, getting defensive anytime someone disagreed with my take on something or with an idea I had. It would go as far as even falsifying a narrative to present my thought or idea as better. This is a mistake. A major key to life is to know when you are wrong and to find alternatives to beliefs you have, even ones that are strong and you thought previously unbreakable. Life and opinions should be built on a foundation of facts and logic. NOT on the emotional response that is brought on by an idea. Emotion is important but should be tempered - it is crucial to let the initial outburst of emotion be tempered when making decisions so you do not fall into an action with less virtue. This will help you admit when you are wrong, even when you really do not want to be. We should always be open to changing our mind on something if the facts present differently than we originally thought - and we should always be willing to admit that we were wrong. I see this issue a lot in modern day politics, for example, and it never hurts to see how its effecting the country. On both sides of the system you have folks that refuse to divert from their parties beliefs no matter the facts laid out. They choose to stick with their original thoughts no matter the facts because of the emotion they feel behind it and often get stuck using confirmation bias. This has caused a massive divide in the population that I truly think would be fixed if people could just understand each others side and admit when one is wrong or right without villainizing it. This concept of accepting when you are wrong and understanding the angle of someone else, even if you may not agree, is the key to fixing this issue. Its simple, yet an undertaking too hard for those who do not wish to live their life to the fullest. 

Thank you all

JP: 5 - (Deca)Daily Stoic: Wisdom for Every (10) Day(s)

 All, 

I hope everyone's week has been good. I, once again, just got off a  50 hour work week with about 4.5 hours of average sleep a night. My brain is mush and I am tired, but that's the most fun time to get stuff done. Just due to working nonstop I do not have a topic to write about along with the deca-daily so today will just be another quote. I look forward to doing an effortpost on my next blog day. 

April 11th, 2025

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN, BE HUMBLE

         "Throw out your conceited opinions, for it is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows. "

― Epictetus, Discourses, 2.17.1

 What is means: " Of all the Stoics, Epictetus is the closet one to a true teacher. He had a school. He hosted classes. In fact, his wisdom is passed down to us through a student who took really good lecture notes. One of the things that frustrated Epictetus about philosophy students - and has frustrated all college professors since time began - is how students claim to want to be taught but really secretly believe they already know everything. The reality is that we're all guilty of thinkin we know it all, and we'd learn more if we could set that attitude aside. As smart or successful as we may be, there is always someone who is smarter, more successful, and wiser than us. Emerson put it well: "Every man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him." If you want to learn, if you want to improve in your life, seeking out teachers, philosophers, and great books is a good start. But this approach will only be effective if you're humble and ready to let go of opinions you already have."

Your Authors Take: I have a very simple take on this one. Kill your ego and realize that everyone you meet can teach you something. Also, realize when someone is better at something and learn from them instead of getting upset. I highly recommend Jiu Jitsu as a way to practice this. There is no sport on the planet more humbling than it. No matter how good you get, there will always be someone who is better and will beat you up so bad it will be like you've never trained. This is a good thing though because you learn through that failure. You do now know something until you do. Anyway, the point is, accept the help of others and above all things, make sure that you know what you do not know. 

Thank you all

JP: 4 - (Deca)Daily Stoic: Wisdom for Every (10) Day(s)

 All, 

I want to apologize for not only my delay in posting but also the shortness of this blog. I have been very busy with work and have not even been home in the last 3 days. That being said, I thank you all and I look forward to be able to get into more content later on. For now, though, enjoy the below. 

April 2nd, 2025

BE WARY OF WHAT YOU LET IN

         

“Drama, combat, terror, numbness, and subservience - every day these things wipe out your sacred principles, whenever your mind entertains them uncritically or lets them slip in"

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations , 10.9

 What is means: " How much harder is it to do the right thing when you're surrounded by people with low standards? How much harder is it to be positive and empathetic inside the negativity bubble of television chatter? How much harder is it to focus on your own issues when you're distracted with other people's drama and conflict? We'll inevitably be exposed to these influences at some point, no matter how much we try to avoid them. But when we are, there is nothing that says we have to allow those influences to penetrate our minds. We have the ability to put our guard up and decide what we actually allow in. Uninvited guests might arrive at your home, but you don't have to ask them to stay for dinner. You don't have to let them into your mind."

Your Authors Take: When bad things happen, bad thoughts follow. When bad thoughts follow, the soul can rot. Make sure to fortify your mind to those thoughts, especially when bad times do happen, so you do not allow yourself to become victim to the deterioration of your happiness or worse, to be deterred from your principles and ethical way of thinking. This practice will also improve quality of life and will cause the bad things to stay outside the depths of your mind, and rather just be a temporary thought for you to domesticate. I find myself practicing this often. Unfortunately with work, I am exposed to some of the worst things imaginable, and it can get very hard to deal with mentally due to the brutal nature of it. This concept, though, is what's able to keep me in charge of my mind. I do not let the sadness or anguish of such things slip into my mind unattended. Rather I sit with them to deal with them and them let them go. You all can do the same. 

Thank you all

JP: 3 - Zucchini, Meet Linguine: A Caramelized Meal You’ll Love

 Good Morning Readers ( I write this at 12:10 AM, officially 10 minutes past my due date),

  I want to start by formally apologizing for the delay. These past few weeks have been some of the busiest and most hectic of my life when it comes to work. It's been a mentally draining but rewarding time. Because of this, I wasn’t able to get my blog posted on time. Even worse, I struggled to come up with a clear idea of what I wanted to write about. After much thought, I decided to share something I always enjoy, even after an especially exhausting day of work—my favorite meal: Caramelized Zucchini Linguine. I truly hope you all get the chance to try this dish, and if you do, please reach out and let me know what you think.

Before we get into the recipe, I wanted to share a little history of how I discovered this meal. Over a year ago, my roommate and I decided to split the cost of the meal delivery service "Everyplate." I would highly recommend this service if you're looking to save money while being able to cook and enjoy a wide variety of meals. Anyway, during our time using the service, my roommate and I tried probably 100 different meals, and not a single one came close (for me) to beating the caramelized zucchini linguine. Whenever we got it, I never let my roommate cook it (we had assigned cooking days) because I didn’t want her to mess it up and I prepared it a bit differently than the recipe suggested. That being said, if you ever try Everyplate and order this meal, let me know if you prefer their version or mine. I, of course, prefer mine. Okay, let’s dive into the recipe.

THE RECIPE (4 SERVINGS)

[feel free to call me during any of this for help]

INGREDIENTS & MEASUREMENTS

• Linguine – 1 lb (1 box)

• Zucchini – About 1 lb (typically 4 zucchinis, prepacked)

• Lemons – 2 (the larger, the better)

• Shallot – 1 (medium to large)

• Garlic – 8 cloves 

• Parmesan Cheese (shredded, NOT grated) – 1 cup (I use the 1.5 cup bag from Publix)

• Fresh Parsley – 1 tbsp, chopped

• Vegetable Stock – 1 tsp

• Cream Cheese – 2 oz (use an actual block)

• Italian Seasoning – 1.5 tbsp

• Butter – 3 tbsp

• Salt – 1 tsp (plus more to taste)

• Pepper – To taste

• Red Pepper Flakes – To taste

• Olive Oil – 4 tbsp

STEP ONE: PREP

I like to start this meal by prepping everything I will need to make it.

 1.  Grab a pot big enough to cook a full box of linguine and fill it with salted water. Slowly bring that to a boil while you prep your veggies.

**FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE BELOW PICTURES FOR STEP 2**

2. Take your zucchini and cut them in half. Do not cut them in half length wise, cut them in the middle as shown in FIGURE 1 below. From here, stand each half up vertically and cut them into planks with about the same thickness as shown in FIGURE 2. Once you have done this with each zucchini, cut the planks into sticks like in FIGURE 3, but make them just SLIGHTLY less wide - more so where the black line I added is. Once they are all cut into these sticks, put aside. 

3. Take the 2 big lemons you have and zest them. Make sure to get as much of the zest as you can as we want to make this a very lemony dish. After they are zested, go ahead and cut both lemons into quarters for later. 

4. Get 8 cloves from your bulb of garlic, peel and finely chop them - set aside.

5. Peel, half and chop your shallot - set aside.

6. Pick your parsley leaves from the stems, and finely chop the leaves until you have about a tablespoon

FIGURE 1 

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

STEP 2: COOKING

Once all the prep is done we can finally start our cooking process.

1. In a big pan ( I use one very similar to the one below) heat up 4 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. 

2. Once pan and oil is heated, add your garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

3. Add your zucchini sticks and stir to get them all coated in the olive oil, garlic, and shallot mixture. 

4. Add 1 tsp of salt over the zucchini and a pinch of red pepper flakes. You can always add more to taste.

5. Cook them, stirring and folding occasionally, until they are slightly caramelized and soft. **NOTE** I do not actually do this for a specific amount of time. I normally cook them until I can easily, with little pressure, cut one in half with the tip of my spatula. This is how I know they are done. **END NOTE** Once this step is about half way done, I add my pasta to the water and cook until al-dente (about 11 minutes)  - drain and set aside. 

6. Once your zucchini is cooked and soft, turn your heat to low and add your cream cheese (2 oz) and veggie stock (1 tsp) and stir until combined and the zucchini is creamy and coated. You will want to be sure there are no chunks of cream cheese and it has all been smoothed out.

7. Sprinkle your Italian seasoning onto the mixture and stir it to make sure it is combined and mixed. 

8. Take 6 of the 8 lemon quarters you have (leave 2 for serving) and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Add all the lemon zest you have as well. Mix this all together until it is smooth and all the zucchini is coated. Turn off heat.

STEP 3: COMBINATION

1. Once your zucchini mixture is done, add the drained pasta, half a cup of the shredded parmesan, half the parsley, and 3 TBSP of butter into the pan with the mixture. 

2. Mix all this together, folding the pasta into the mixture to get every noodle coated. The cheese and butter should melt and the pasta should have an nice coat of your smooth zucchini mixture. Season with salt and pepper. 

STEP 3: PLATE 

1. Once your noodles are coated and all the cooking is done, grab a big ol bowl and put a hefty helping of pasta into it.

2. Use the other half cup of cheese, as well as the other half of the parsley, to sprinkle on top. 

3. Serve with remaining lemon wedge on the side (squeeze all of that in there as well). 

4. It should come out looking a little something like the picture below.

STEP 4: ENJOY! 

1. Enjoy the meal and let me know what you think! 

(Deca)Daily Stoic: Wisdom for Every (10) Day(s)

March 21st, 2025

THE BEST RETREAT IS IN HERE, NOT OUT THERE

“Men seek retreats for themselves - in the country, by the sea, or in the mountains. You are very much in the habit of yearning for those same things. But this is entirely the trait of a base person, when you can, at any moment, find such a retreat in yourself. For nowhere can you find a more peaceful and less busy retreat than in your own soul - especially if on close inspection it is filled with ease, which I say is nothing more than being well-ordered. Treat yourself often to this retreat and be renewed”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations , 4.3.1

 What is means: "Do you have a vacation coming up? Are you looking forward to the weekend so you can have some peace and quiet? Maybe, you think, after thing settle down or after I get this over with. But how often has that ever actually worked? The Zen meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn coined a famous expression: 'wherever you go, there you are.' We can find a retreat at anytime by looking inward. We can sit with our eyes closed and feel our breathe go in and out. We can turn on some music and tune out the world. We can turn off technology or shut off those rampant thoughts in our head. That will provide us peace. Nothing else."

Your Authors Take: As I've mentioned in previous posts, the goal of practicing Stoicism is not to eliminate or suppress your emotions, but rather to temper and manage them. Often, after a stressful week, we look forward to fun or relaxation as a way to convince ourselves that everything will be okay. This approach, however, is flawed. We need to learn how to find peace within ourselves, regardless of the circumstances. While this is easier said than done, with the right practice, it is achievable. No matter where we are in life, we are always present in it. This means that the only things showing up on time, every time, are our bodies and minds, and we must learn to retreat into ourselves to cope with life’s stresses—rather than waiting for a "safe place" to appear. As Marcus Aurelius said: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

Thank you all

JP 2: Snacking Around the World: The Ultimate Epcot Food Ranking

 Good evening and thank you for tuning in again. Today has been a very hectic day so I am only just now, at this late hour, getting to my blog creation. For today's blog, I figured it would be fun to write on the ranking of food that I ate during my travels to Walt Disney World's EPCOT™. Of course, stay tuned at the end for my deca-daily stoic quote of the day.

When we arrived at EPCOT I had only a few things in my head that I was looking forward to eating. This all changed, however, when I realized that the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts was happening. During this event they offer fun, smaller portion, menu items that are not normally found at the park. Due to this, I not only got the classics, but was able to branch out and enjoy a variety of new flavors. 

Before we start, I want to lay out the format of today's ranking. As you read on you will see 11 different food items that I consumed during my mini day vacation. The order of these foods does NOT correlate to the ranking itself, you must read each number ranking from 0-10 to see what was best. I also want to note that the 0-10 ranking scale is not based on all foods I have had, but ONLY to foods that I have eaten within the park. Finally, if you see a little ❤ symbol next to a food, it means that it was part of the event and may no longer be available. Now that we have that covered, let's get right into it.

 Disclaimer: This ranking is based solely on my personal opinions and experiences. It is not a professional review and should be viewed as a subjective take on the food offerings at Epcot. Your tastes and preferences may vary, so please take this ranking with a grain of salt.

JP: 1- Stoic Intelligence: Enduring Tough Times Through Philosophy

Good Morning Readers and Happy Friday

My name is JP, and today I am going to write about one of the few things I am confident I know well—how I deal with tough times. Specifically, I want to talk about the philosophy of Stoicism and how it has helped me tremendously in overcoming these tough times. The overall point of this post, and all future ones, is not to convince you to change your ways or question everything, but rather to offer a brief moment of inspiration for your day.

Since this is my first post, it will be formatted differently from the ones I plan to write in the future. Today's post will have two parts: the first being a very brief overview of Stoicism, and the second being the quote of the day, its meaning, and what I (personally) took from it. The latter is what I plan to post about most of the time, unless I have something different and fun I want to write about. Even then, I will try to include at least the quote.

I see this not only as a way for you all to learn how this philosophy can help you, but also as a way to keep me accountable and up to date on practicing it. That being said, I look forward to writing to you all deca-daily, and let’s get right into it.

Stoic Origins: A Historical Journey

When setting sail from the ancient city of Citium in Cyprus to the port city of Piraeus in Athens, a wealthy merchant’s ship suffered a catastrophic disaster during a raging storm. The shipwreck sent all of the merchant’s valuable goods to the depths of the sea, effectively swallowing his wealth with it. This merchant went by the name Zeno of Citium, and this disaster would later become the shipwreck that changed history.

Zeno of Citium survived the wreck and washed up onto the shore of Athens with his soul beaten by the cruelty of nature. However, as he walked through the ancient city, he passed a bookstore and began reading a book by Xenophon, a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian. The book was called Memorabilia and contained Socratic dialogues that greatly influenced Zeno. He quickly realized that he could either let the impartial destruction of nature be the catalyst for a terrible life, or he could allow it to inspire a great one. He chose the latter.

Zeno began studying other texts and the teachings of philosophers such as Crates of Thebes (a Cynic philosopher) and Stilpo (a Megarian philosopher). Through these teachings, Zeno founded the first school of Stoicism in 301 BC. He taught at the Stoa Poikile (Painted Porch), a public gathering place where Zeno and the people fortunate enough to hear him would discuss their ideas. Stoa Poikile would later become the source of the word Stoic, which is how we know the philosophy today.

Zeno, however, never wrote down his teachings, but they were preserved through the transcriptions and works of his later students, the most famous of whom was his student Epictetus. Epictetus, who was born a slave and died a freeman, author, teacher, and philosopher, would become one of the most famous Stoics in history and inspire many more to follow the path of Stoicism. Epictetus taught that although external events are ultimately beyond our control, we have control over how we choose to react to them. These teachings were immortalized in his Discourses and Enchiridion, written by his student Arrian.

These texts and their teachings had a profound effect on the Roman statesman and senator Seneca. Seneca, who was the tutor to the Roman Emperor Nero, believed, like the others, that Stoicism was more than just a subject or theory—it was a lifestyle to practice. What is remarkable about Seneca, much like Zeno and Epictetus, is that he lived by his Stoic principles until the end. So much so, that when Emperor Nero wrongly implicated him in a plot against Nero’s rule and ordered him to kill himself, Seneca did so with calm fortitude, realizing that all men die, but not all men die complaining. Fortunately for us, Seneca was a prolific writer, so his teachings lived on, most famously in his Letters from a Stoic.

 The final and most well-known Stoic of ancient history was none other than Marcus Aurelius, the greatest Roman Emperor, who reigned from 161 AD to 180 AD. Despite holding the title of the most powerful man on the planet, and being tempted by vices that were expected to be indulged in, he was deeply philosophical and was the perfect representation of what is known as a Philosopher King. Marcus practiced what he preached and wrote about it in his journal. Thankfully, this journal was found and saved, later becoming known as Meditations, which is the most famous of Stoic writings. These writings, however, were never meant to be published and were a clear representation of a man on a journey of self-betterment.

These remarkable men came from very different backgrounds—a merchant, a slave, a senator, and an emperor—but they all had one thing in common: they believed that the key to living a happy life was through accordance with nature and the one TRUE good—virtue.

Your Authors Favorite Quote from Each Stoic Figure

"The goal of life is living in agreement with nature" - Zeno of Citium

 "I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it" - Epictetus

 "They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn"- Seneca

 "The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting, The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way" - Marcus Aurelius  

BONUS QUOTES (should you wish to read)

 "Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one" - Marcus Aurelius

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius 

"Never let the future disturb you. You will meet, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present" - Marcus Aurelius 

"How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us" - Marcus Aurelis 

"You are hurt the moment you believe yourself to be" - Epictetus

"Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember" - Seneca

Stoicism - Your Authors Interpretation

Instead of giving you the definition of what a stoic believes and practices, I will give you my interpretation of it. This being said, I highly recommend reading all the above writings and coming to a conclusion yourself. For your author, stoicism is simple. It is a lifestyle that no one can ever truly master and requires practice day in and day out. It is remembering all men must die and to accept death and the unbiased happenings of nature. It is accepting what is out of your control, changing what is in your control and knowing the difference between the two. It is living with Wisdom, Courage, Temperence, and Justice. It is loving fate as it happens and realizing that if something stands in the way, it becomes the way. It is to enjoy suffering and the fall, as that is the way to grow. It is to live in discomfort so that you can endure. It is to domesticate your emotions and not eliminate them. It is to treat every new person you meet as an opportunity for kindness. Most importantly, it is to live above all things, virtuously. 

(Deca)Daily Stoic: Wisdom for Every (10) Day(s)

February 28th, 2025

WHEN YOU LOSE CONTROL

“The soul is like the bowl of water, with the soul's impressions like the rays of light that strike the water. Now, if the water is disturbed, the light appears to be disturbed together with it — though of course it is not. So when someone loses consciousness, it is not the person's knowledge and virtues that are impaired, it is the breath that contains them. Once the breath returns to normal, knowledge and the virtues are restored to normal also.”

― Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings

What is means: "You messed up a little. Or maybe you messed up a lot. So? That doesn't change the philosophy that you know. It's not as if your reasoned choice has permanently abandoned you. Rather, it was you who temporarily abandoned it. Remember that the tools and aims of our training are unaffected by the turbulence of the moment. Stop. Regain your composure. Its waiting for you."

Your Authors Take: Screwing up in life is normal. It happens. We are only human, and when it does, it's not the discipline itself that's leaving the path, but rather us stepping away from the path of that discipline. Just because it happened, though, doesn’t mean you need to start from scratch and create a new path. Get back on it. The things we have practiced and the knowledge we have gained are still very much with us; our brains may just be too fogged with emotion to see it. We just need to settle down, acknowledge our mistake, and continue to practice. When things go wrong, we fall back to our most basic level of training. In our minds, the concept remains the same.

 Thanks for reading and talk soon

J.P.